American Graduate

The facts that paint a bleak, dark, down-and-out Motor City are not scarce. Whether it is the unemployment, or foreclosures, or crime, Detroit finds itself on lists like Forbes' 20 most miserable cities. But in my travels, it ranks…

Nationally, about 70 percent of U.S. students graduate on time with a regular diploma, according to data compiled by Education Week. For Hispanic and African American students, the proportion drops to about 50 percent. And there are currently more than…